Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker | Review

Emma In the Night by Wendy WalkerPublisher: St. Martin’s PressRelease Date: August 8, 2017Length: 298 pagesBuy on Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

Three years ago sisters Cass and Emma Tanner went missing, and when Cass returns alone, she has vengeance on her mind.

From the Publisher

“ One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn’t add up.”

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

An Unreliable Narrator – Eighteen-year old Cass narrates half the chapters and the reader is never quite sure about Cass. She is desperate for her sister, Emma, to be found, but are the tales she tells about where Emma is true or an illusion? Is she sane or a little crazy? What isn’t she telling us? Adding to her unreliability are Cass’s thoughts. She has a lot figured out about those around her and even more about herself. Cass is an angry girl bent on revenge. She can barely keep the “scream inside” contained.

“I wanted to scream at him. I need things, too! I need to tell my story before it explodes right out of my chest! No one seems to care about my things.”

You’ve got to love her!

A Dysfunctional Family – The Tanner/Martin family was a family at war, literally! They fought; they spied; they strategized; they delivered devastating blows; they were awful. Leading the war was Judy Martin, the girls’ narcissistic mom. Judy wanted all the attention, all the love. When she didn’t get it there were consequences. Devastating consequences. Her two husbands were largely inept when it came to reining her in, but her stepson, Hunter, was a worthy opponent. He fought a battle of lust and hate with both Judy and Emma, who had her own battle going with mom. Cass, often a victim in their skirmishes, watched it all unfold, gathering her own arsenal.

“I looked at my mother and smiled, because she was about to find out that she was not the smartest woman in the world. And I had just raised the stakes in a game she didn’t even know she was playing.”

Foreshadowing – At the end of the chapters narrated by Cass, there was always a last line that left me wondering. These made me want answers and compelled me to keep going.

What Didn’t

Forensic Psychologist Abby Winter – I wasn’t enamored with the parts of the story told from the perspective of this young FBI psychologist. Her personal connections with the lives of Cass and Emma seemed unlikely and a bit of a stretch. Had these been more fully developed, I might have seen a more relevant purpose. Professional choices Abby made I also found questionable.

Wise Beyond Her Years – Cass had a lot of thoughts on everything. Too many thoughts for my taste. She got a little rambly at times and the depth of her 18-year old psychological insights didn’t feel real.

{The Final Assessment}

I liked Emma in the Night very much. The story was fast and compelling with a unique spin. I can’t say that the twists or the ending surprised me, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I thought the way Walker wove the whole thing together really worked. If you like a good psychological thriller, you should definitely add Emma in the Night to your reading list! Grade: B+

Reader Interactions

Comments

I have to admit I’m pretty interested in the story and twists that everyone is indicating in their reviews. Even though a couple things didn’t work as well for you it sounds like it was still a good read overall so that settles it for me, I’ll be starting it hopefully later this week.

I just finished Emma in the Night and found it suitably entertaining even with all the scepticism I felt. It’s called ‘suspension of disbelief’, almost a necessity with the many thrillers I read. Cass’s story kept me interested even when it was implausible. And I agree with your take on the FBI Forensic Psychologist but I kept rooting for her anyway. The ending was somewhat disappointing-emphasis on somewhat-even though a good one. All said I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers. Side note: I hated the mother!!

It would have been impossible NOT to hate the mother in that book! I think with most thrillers there has to be some suspension of disbelief to feel good about the pieces fitting together. Thanks for stopping by.